Fluorescent lighting fixture



Feb. 9, 1960- M. E. BLOCK 2,924,702

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Seat 1 IN VEN TOR.

Millard E. Block Feb. 9, 1960 M. E. BLOCK 2,924,702

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Millard E. Block ATTOz NEY United States Patent 2,924,702 FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Millard E. Block, Providence, R.I. Application October 15, 1957, Serial No. 690,379 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-51.11)

My present invention relates to lighting fixtures, and more, particularly to a novel construction of fluorescent lighting fixture.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture which can be readily installed and is extremely adaptable in meeting different conditions of installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture which permits easy and rapid replacement of the sockets or starter, without the necessity of removing the entire fixture, whether installed as an individual unit, or in continuous rows.

'A further object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture which is particularly adaptable for end to end installations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture having a telescoping end permitting a variety of installations.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lighting fixture embodying my invention, partially broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section thereof taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one end of the fixture with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the various parts of the end assembly.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connecting plate.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the end to end assembly.

In the manufacture of commercial type fluorescent lighting fixtures, it is customary to provide a housing having'a removable cover. The housing is designed to hold the ballast, the starter and the two sockets necessary for supporting the fluorescent lamp.

In the early forms of fluorescent lighting fixtures, the main portion of the housing was affixed to the wall or ceiling, and the ballast, starter and sockets were aflixed to the cover. It was found that this caused a great deal of difliculty in the installation. After the main portion of the housing was affixed to the ceiling and the electrical connection was brought into the housing, it was necessary to balance the heavy cover, with all the attachments afiixed thereto, on the electricians shoulder while he made the necessary electrical connections. The cover was then bolted or secured to the housing. Recently this difliculty was overcome by moving the ballast, starter and sockets from the cover to the housing itself to be aflixed to the ceiling with the housing. The

cover then became merely a flat plate which could be put on after the assembly was completed. However, it has been found that this type of construction makes it difficult to bring in the electrical cable connection from certain angles, makes it difiicult to replace defective or worn out sockets, and makes it difiicult to assemble the fixtures in a continuous abutting end to end installation.

The present invention is designed to provide a lighting fixture which will overcome all of the above difiiculties. The fixture is easy to install and provision is made for easily making the electrical connections. The sockets are readily replaceable and the fixture lends itself readily to end to end installation. Furthermore; the sockets are also readily replaced in such end to end installations.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the fixture of the present invention comprises a main housing ll), having open ends and comprising a bottom 11 and integral upstanding side portions 12 and 13, forming a U-shaped channel member. The housing 10 is usually constructed in standard lengths common to the electrical fixture industry. As shown in Fig. 4, the sides 12 and 13 are providedadjacent each end with vertically spaced openings 14 and 15. The bottom portion 11 may also be provided with one or more knock out portions (not shown) which can be removed to provide an opening for a cable connection entering from the bottom. The ballast 16 and its accompanying cord lead wires are mounted on the bottom portion 11 of the housing 10.

Each end of the housing 10 is closed by an end closure member 17 having an end wall 18, Fig. 4, which is also equipped with a knock out portion 19. Integrally formed with the end wall 18 is a bottom wall 20 adapted to extend under the bottom 11 of the channel member and side walls 21 and 22 adapted to slide within the channel member or housing 10. Each side wall 21 and 22 is provided at its upper edge with an inwardly extending flange 23 having spaced openings 24 thereon. Each side Wall 21 and 22 is also provided with two pairs of vertically spaced openings 25 and 26.']When the member 17 is pushed into the end of the housing. 19, into the positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the openings 26 will align with the openings 14 and 15 in the sides 12 and 13. Screws 27 can then be inserted through these openings to lock the parts together. In this position, the member 17 will not slide completely into the housing 10, but will remain slightly extended,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The socket at each end is mounted on the plate 28,

having a rectangular opening 29, through which the socket 30 extends. Since the fixture must be equipped with a starter socket 31, this may be mounted with one of the sockets 30, and adapted to extend through one end, or the socket and starter switch 31 arranged.

at the other end, is mounted on its plate 28 by pushing the socket upwardly through the opening 29 and. then screwing the socket to the plate through a slot 37 extending inwardly from the opening 29.

in assembly, the plate 28, with the socket attached thereto, is placed over the inturned flanges 23 of the closure member 17, the openings 35 being in alignment with the inner openings 24 in the flanges. Examining Fig. 1, it will be noted that in this position the extended at the upper edge.

portion 33 of the plate 28 will cover the protruding portion of the end member 17 so that there is a rectangular space or chamber between the end wall 18 and the socket :30, as shown in' Fig. 2. The assembly is thencompleted by the rectangular cover member 38, having suitable cut-outs 39 and openings 40 to fit around the sockets 30 at eachend and over the starter socket 31. 7 With the parts assembled as shown in Fig. l, the length of the fixture is embodied in the housing 10, and the protruding portions at each end form additional lengths. If the installation requires that the cable enter the fixture from one end, the knock-out portion 19 is removed and the rectangular chamber beyond the wall 18 permits the maneuvering and connecting of the cable. Furthermore, ifthe fixture is attached to the wall or ceiling and it is necessary to replace either a starter switch 31 or a socket '30, it is merely necessary to remove the cover 38 by removing the screws 41, and then remove the particular plate 28 by removing the screws from the openings 35. Thus, the socket can be replaced without disturbing the attachment of the fixture to the wall or its cable connection.

If it is necessary to mount the fixture in a position where there is insufficient space at each end beyond the length of the housing 10, or if the fixture is being mounted in a place where the cable connection will be made through the bottom of the housing 10 rather than from the ends, then the rectangular space hereinabove referred to is not necessary. In such an installation, the end members 17 are pushed completely within the housing 10, so

. that the openings 25 align'with the openings 14 and 15 instead of the openings 26. When the plate 28 is now placed over the flanges 23, the protruding section 33 is unnecessary. It can then be grasped with a pair of pliers and bent sharply until it breaks off. The openings 35 in the plate will now align with the outermost openings 24 on the flanges 23 and the socket 30 will be mounted in the same position as shown in Fig. 1, but it will now be flush with the end wall 18 of the closure member. With such an assembly, the overall length of the fixture willnow be reduced to the length of the housing 10.

of the sockets.

it is abutting the adjacent fixture.

I This construction and assemb1y,.therefore, gives the fixture a great deal of flexibility and permits the electrician to modify the fixture on the spot to suit the particular installation.

1" In many installations, it is desirable to install these fluorescent fixtures in end to end position to provide a continuous row of lights. Where normal end members are employed, the connecting members at the ends will provide a gap,'so that the line will not actually be continuous, there being a space from one bulb to the next. The fixture of the present invention can be so modified with the described construction as to provide an almost continuous unbroken. row of lights, spaced only by the width of the sockets.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, I provide rectangular connecting plates 42 having an inturned integral flange 43 The connecting plates 42 are provided with vertically aligned openings 44 adjacent each end and an opening 45 adjacent each end of the flange, also in alignment with the openings 44. In an end to end assembly, as shown in Fig. 6, the end closure members 17 are discarded and a pair of plates 42 are inserted intothe ends of the adjacent fixtures, one on each wall, so that the openings 44 align with the openings 15 in each housing. This will lock the two housings to each other in abutting end to end relationship and provide a pair of flanges 43 extending inwardly at the end of each housing. The rectangular portion 33 is now removed from a pair of plates 28, and the plates, with the socket assembly mounted thereon, are placedover the flanges 43 with the sockets 30 back to back. The openings 35 in the plates will align with the openings 45 in the flanges to permit the parts to be locked together.

The above assembly thus permits a virtually unbroken With the construction of my invention hereinabove described, it is merely necessary to remove the screws from the openings 35 in the plate 28 and the plate can be lifted directly ofl the housing, the socket and starter socket going with it.

The fixture of the present invention is, therefore, simple in construction and yet designed to provide a great deal of flexibility in making installations. It provides for a cable recess at each end which can be readily removed if the cable is brought in from beneath the housing and it permits ready removal and replacement of any of the electrical portions, such as the socket, starter socket or ballast in whatever type of mounting is employed, including the end to end installations.

Other advantages of the present construction will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

.I claim:

1. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising an elongated channel housing open at each end, the side walls of said housing having vertically aligned openings spaced from each end, a closure member for each end of said housing, said closure member having side walls slidable within said housing and a bottom wall slidable outside of said housing, a plate mounted on said closure member for holding a socket and starter, and a cover for said housing and plate, said closure side walls having spaced openings aligning with said housing openings to permit the insertion of screws to lock said closures in one of two selected positions to shorten or lengthen the housing.

2. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising an elongated channel housing open at each end, the side walls of said housing having vertically aligned openings spaced from each end, a closure member for each end of said housing, said closure member having side walls slidable within said housing and a bottom wall slidable outside of said housing, a plate mounted on said closure member for holding a socket and starter, said closure members having flanges for supporting said plates, and a cover for said housing plate, said closure side walls having spaced openings aligning with said housing openings to permit the insertion of screws to lock said closures in one of two selected positions to shorten or lengthen the housing.

3. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising an elongated channel housing open at each end, the side walls of said housing having vertically aligned openings spaced from each end, a closure member for each end of said housing, said closure member having side walls slidable within said housing and a bottom wall slidable outside of said housing, a plate mounted on said closure member for holding a socket and starter, said closure members having flanges for supporting said plates, said closure side walls having spaced openings aligning with said housing openings to permit the insertion of screws to lock said closures in. one of two selected positions to shorten or lengthen the housing, and a cover for said housing and plate, said plate having a scored removable end portion to permit removal of said end portion when said closure is locked in the shorter position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,295,788 Hoeveler Sept. 15, 1942 2,408,783 Kloner Oct. 8, 1946 2,434,781 Kurtzon Jan. 20, 1948 2,569,518 Duetsch et al Oct. 2, 1951 2,574,019 Crockett Nov. 6, 1951 

